Construction of a prototype for a study of drainage in sandy soils

Abstract

Drain Structures are widely used in Civil Engineering. However, its study is limited by the difficulties in obtaining real data. Aiming to simulate didactic problems – in classrooms – related to this important area of engineering, a sandy and massive prototype in an acrylic box of 0,3 X 0,3 X 1,00m was constructed, in the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics and Geology of Uninove. In its interior, five vertical drains using corrugated hoses of 1” of diameter covered with a geotêxtil blanket were made. These hoses were connected by a 1” of diameter collecting pipe, surrounded in a geotêxtil layer and contained inside of a draining carpet of gravel soil. In order to evaluate the system, the sandy soil was saturated and submitted to a constant hydraulic load. Soon after the model´s outflow was determined.